Barbara Bush reveals close friendship: ‘I love Bill Clinton’

Sarah Palin is known to say that America is governed by a “permanent political class,” and recent comments by former first lady Barbara Bush about how she views former President Bill Clinton lends credence to that point of view.

Before Bush’s recent health issues, she sat down for an interview with C-SPAN, part of a series of profiles on America’s first ladies, Investor’s Business Daily reported.

In a candid conversation, Mrs. Bush reveals the bond of friendship that has formed between former President George H.W. Bush, herself and Clinton, whom she said visits “every summer.”

While noting that they do not agree politically, Mrs. Bush seems to almost excuse some of Clinton’s more questionable behavior by stressing that his father “was not around.”

“I think that he thinks of George a little bit like the father he didn’t have,” she said. “And he’s very loving to him and I really appreciate that.”

Pointing out that Clinton looked out for her husband when the two traveled to Indonesia as part of the “Bush-Clinton Tsunami Fund,” she added, “I love Bill Clinton. Maybe not his politics, but I love Bill Clinton.”